Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-03-23 Daily Xml

Contents

Northern Economic Plan

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:30): Is there any chance the minister might go anywhere near the question that was asked of him—that is, the 15,000 jobs and whether or not it is consistent with an increase in the unemployment rate in the north from its already high level of 9 per cent, or is he just going to ignore the struggling workers and the unemployed in the northern suburbs, as he continues to do?

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: That's rich from you!

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for his question about the Northern Economic Plan—the Northern Economic Plan that committed more than $24 million of new funding to programs to create industry and to create jobs, as opposed to the sum total of their ambition, knowledge and aspiration contained in their 2036 plan.

I invite the campaign genius, the Hon. Rob Lucas—the architect of their Fisher by-election campaign—to come and show us how many times the northern suburbs or even the automotive industry are mentioned in their plan. I invite him to come and tell us how many times they are mentioned in their plan, and I can understand why he is so shocked and ashamed of what has been put out by his leader.